Lactobacilli included in this study were previously isolated from vaginal swabs of healthy pre-menopause Caucasian women, according to the protocol approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy (52/2014/U/Tess) [47 (link)]. According to a recent reclassification of Lactobacillus genus [48 (link)], they belong to the species Lactobacillus crispatus (BC1, BC3, BC4, and BC5), Lactobacillus gasseri (BC9, BC10, BC12, and BC14) and Limosilactobacillus vaginalis (BC16 and BC17). Lactobacilli were routinely grown in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe broth (MRS) (Difco, Detroit, MI, USA) with the addition of L-cysteine 0.05% (w/v) (Merck, Milan, Italy), at 37 °C; the anaerobic conditions were guaranteed by incubation in anaerobic jars containing Gas-Pak EZ (Beckton, Dickinson and Co., Milan, Italy).
Escherichia coli DSM1900, E. coli DSM18039 and Staphylococcus aureus DSM2569 were purchased from the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). Staphylococcus lugdunensis BC102, Enterococcus faecalis BC101 and Enterococcus faecium BC105 belong to the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of the University of Bologna (Italy). Staphylococcus aureus SO88, Streptococcus agalactiae SO104, Candida albicans SO1 and Candida glabrata SO17 were isolated at Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital of Bologna during routine diagnostic procedures. The microbial identification was obtained by means of a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), using a Bruker Microflex MALDI-TOF MS instrument (Bruker Daltonics) [49 (link)]. Staphylococcus spp., E. coli, Enterococcus spp. and S. agalactiae were aerobically grown at 37 °C in Brain Heart Infusion medium (BHI) (Difco, Detroit, MI, USA), while Candida spp. were aerobically cultured at 35 °C in Sabouraud dextrose medium (SD) (Difco, Detroit, MI, USA).
Escherichia coli DSM1900, E. coli DSM18039 and Staphylococcus aureus DSM2569 were purchased from the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). Staphylococcus lugdunensis BC102, Enterococcus faecalis BC101 and Enterococcus faecium BC105 belong to the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of the University of Bologna (Italy). Staphylococcus aureus SO88, Streptococcus agalactiae SO104, Candida albicans SO1 and Candida glabrata SO17 were isolated at Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital of Bologna during routine diagnostic procedures. The microbial identification was obtained by means of a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), using a Bruker Microflex MALDI-TOF MS instrument (Bruker Daltonics) [49 (link)]. Staphylococcus spp., E. coli, Enterococcus spp. and S. agalactiae were aerobically grown at 37 °C in Brain Heart Infusion medium (BHI) (Difco, Detroit, MI, USA), while Candida spp. were aerobically cultured at 35 °C in Sabouraud dextrose medium (SD) (Difco, Detroit, MI, USA).
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